Darrah Carr's distinctive blend of contemporary modern dance and traditional Irish step, which defined the future of Irish dance for a global audience, returns to the Irish Arts Center following last year's Bessie Award Nomination. The company's celebratory 15th anniversary season features original work by renowned guest choreographer Seán Curran alongside new and favorite work by artistic director Darrah Carr.

The company kicks off its 15th anniversary season with the highly anticipated book release of “ModERIN: Contemporary Irish Dance Works - Darrah Carr Dance” on opening night. Published by Macater Press, this impressive artist's catalog documents the company's lasting impact on the field of Irish dance and features stunning images and in-depth descriptions of their major repertory works.

The commemorative 15th anniversary season also marks guest choreographer Seán Curran’s fourth collaboration with Darrah Carr Dance. Last year's premiere of "Dingle Diwali," a virtuosic display of powerful percussion set to the rhythmically complex vocalizations of British-Indian singer Sheila Chandra, was nominated for a 2012 New York Dance and Performance Award, or a Bessie Award.

Additional highlights of the season include dazzling displays of virtuosic Irish dance featuring live musical accompaniment by Liz Hanley and Niall O'Leary; specially priced family shows; a talkback with Darrah Carr and Seán Curran following Saturday night’s performance; a pre-show conversation with Darrah Carr Dance starting at 2:30pm on Sunday; and a masterclass with Artistic Director Darrah Carr on Monday, November 18.

Since 1998, Darrah Carr Dance has created a sensational blend of traditional Irish step and contemporary modern dance. The company incorporates Irish music, step dance footwork, and spatial patterns within contemporary choreography and presents a bold new twist on conventional Irish dance. Artistic Director Darrah Carr calls her style ModERIN: a playful combination of the words modern (dance) and ERIN (an Irish American reference to Ireland).

Recent performance highlights include: A featured spot on NBC's “The Today Show,” a performance with The New York Pops at Carnegie Hall, the company’s 10th Anniversary Season at the Irish Arts Center, “The Yeats Project” at the Irish Repertory Theatre, The Duke Theater on 42nd Street, Celebrate Brooklyn, Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival, MASS MoCA, The Yard at Martha’s Vineyard, and The Bank of Ireland Arts Center in Dublin. www.darrahcarrdance.com.

Seán Curran, the guest choreographer, Artistic Director of the Seán Curran Company, began his dance training with traditional Irish step dancing as a young boy in Boston. He went on to make his mark on the dance world as a leading dancer with the Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Dance Company. He received a New York Dance & Performance Bessie Award for his performance in Secret Pastures.

A graduate and full-time faculty member of New York University's Tisch School of the Arts, Curran was an original member of the New York City cast of the Off-Broadway percussion extravaganza "Stomp." Curran's work has appeared on Broadway in “James Joyce's The Dead” for Playwrights Horizons and “The Rivals” at Lincoln Center Theater. He recently made his Metropolitan Opera debut choreographing “Romeo and Juliette.” He has created works for Trinity Irish Dance Company, ABT’s Studio Company, Denmark's Upper Cut Company, Sweden's Skänes Dance Theater, Irish Modern Dance Theatre, Ririe Woodbury Dance Theater, and Dance Alloy.

Performances run from Friday, November 22 to Saturday, November 23 at 8pm, with a matinee on Sunday, November 24 at 3pm and specially priced Family Shows on Saturday, November 23 and Sunday, November 24 at 11am. Tickets are $25 General; $15 for the Family Shows; and $20 for IAC members. To purchase, call 866-811-4111 or visit www.irishartscenter.org.